| What | Perth Cup Day |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 |
| When | Monday, January 1, 2024 |
| First Race | 12:45pm AWST |
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The Group 2 Perth Cup will headline the annual New Year’s Day meeting at Ascot Racecourse this Monday afternoon. With warm weather forecast across the weekend and into Monday, the track is expected to stay in the Good range for the whole nine-race card. The rail will go back into the True position for the entire circuit, with the opening race on Perth Cup Day scheduled to jump at 12:45pm AWST.
Perth Cup Tip: Queen Alina
After being scratched from this race last year, Queen Alina from the Daniel & Ben Pearce stable will run in the 2024 edition of the Perth Cup, where she is coming off a much-needed confidence-boosting win. This five-year-old mare settled much closer to the speed last start in the Listed A.T.A. Stakes as she held off her rivals to claim a gritty half-length victory over Black Fantasy on December 20. This daughter of Mahuta has been getting fitter and stronger throughout this preparation, and this race is the clear target for her at the end of the campaign. Chris Parnham knows Queen Alina very well, and if she gets even luck in the final 400m, she will play a prominent role in the finish.
Perth Cup
Race 8 – 
#14 Queen Alina (6)
5yo Mare | T: Daniel & Ben Pearce | J: Chris Parnham (53kg)
+1100 with PlayUp
La Trice Classic Tip: Yonga Lass
William Pike will combine with Grant & Alana Williams once again on Saturday in the Group 3 La Trice Classic when Yonga Lass takes her place in the co-feature. Last start, this four-year-old mare got too far back in the Listed Starstruck Classic but ran home nicely from the second-last to finish fourth, 2.3 lengths off Rusty Dreams. With more speed expected in this contest, it should set up better for this daughter of Universal Ruler, who will undoubtedly go back from her wide barrier (11). If Pike can get this girl to the outside of the field and let down with her strong finishing burst, Yonga Lass can record her first black-type victory of her career.
La Trice Classic
Race 6 – 
#8 Yonga Lass (11)
4yo Mare | T: Grant & Alana Williams | J: William Pike (55kg)
+250 with Picklebet
Summer Scorcher Tip: Wild Belle
Wild Belle was last seen finishing eighth in the Listed Sunlight Classic at Flemington in March, where the Luke Fernie-trained mare settled near the rear of the field and made good ground in what has turned out to be a strong form race. Before going to Victoria last preparation, this daughter of Pride Of Dubai kicked off her campaign with a win at this track over 1100m, defeating Malkar Pindari by 3.8 lengths on February 5. Although she hasn’t been to a public trial before this first-up run, we expect that Fernie and his team will have Wild Belle ready to go, and if she is anywhere near her best, she should prove very hard to beat.
Summer Scorcher
Race 7 – 
#10 Wild Belle (7)
4yo Mare | T: Luke Fernie | J: Chris Parnham (54kg)
+220 with Dabble
Best Bet at Ascot: Hostile Talk
Hostile Talk backed up his strong trial form when recording a dominant debut victory at Belmont over 1000m on December 6, defeating Bronte’s Dream by 3.3 lengths. With William Pike retaining the ride after his debut victory, we see that as a big push for this up-and-coming galloper. This son of War Chant will have taken a lot of benefit from his first race start and will have garnered more fitness going into his second start. Although this is a much tougher race, Pike will have this guy close to the speed from barrier six, and if he produces a similar finishing burst, he will go very close to recording back-to-back victories.
Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#7 Hostile Talk (4)
3yo Gelding | T: Grant & Alana Williams | J: William Pike (54.5kg)
+140 with Neds
Next Best at Ascot: Hanchi
We were with Hanchi last start when he ran away from his rivals over 1000m at this track and recorded a slashing victory over Cut The Talk on December 9. The Sean & Jake Casey-trained gelding appears to have a lot of talent, and when going back through his form, it is easy to see that with his runner-up finish in the Placid Ark Prelude and fifth-place finish in the Listed Placid Ark, where he got no luck at all from a wide barrier. Chris Parnham has been in the saddle for all three starts this time in and from barrier two, he should have Hanchi in behind the speed and ready to pounce at the top of the home straight.
Next Best
Race 9 – 
#7 Hanchi (2)
3yo Gelding | T: Sean & Jake Casey | J: Chris Parnham (57kg)
+260 with Boombet
Monday quaddie tips for Perth Cup Day
Ascot quadrella selections
Monday, January 1, 2024
- 2-6-8
- 1-3-4-10
- 1-5-6-7-14
- 5-7-10
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